BikePortland

Here’s a chance to make East County bike touring even better

The Columbia Gorge is only the first stop for
“destination biking” east of Gresham.
(Photo: J.Maus/BikePortland)

Back in July, we wrote that a big recreational biking upgrade is in the works for east Multnomah County. A pair of public “studio workshops” next month will shape its direction.

People at the free workshops — a seven-hour one Nov. 13 at Troutale’s Edgefield McMenamin’s and a four-hour one Nov. 14 at the Corbett Fire House — will get to “identify assets, opportunities, and barriers to increasing bicycle tourism” in the region.

With a Travel Oregon study estimating that 15 percent of tourism in the Gorge/Mount Hood area is already bike-related, the area’s business leaders see big potential for improving things further.

(Screen capture from KOIN.com.)

Miriam Clinton of Lake Oswego is likely to get more than two years in prison after a guilty plea Friday to driving while intoxicated, hitting a man (who was walking his bike) with her car and leaving him for dead on the side of Southwest Barbur Boulevard Aug. 16.

Clinton accepted one count each of third-degree assault, driving under the influence of intoxicants and failure to perform the duties of a driver, according to KOIN-TV’s report this morning from Multnomah County Court. Upon her release, her driver’s license will be suspended for five years, the Oregonian reported.

KOIN reported that Clinton “cried throughout Friday’s proceedings, and declined to comment afterwards.”

Still from police video of traffic stop.

Just after 6:00 pm on August 15th, 35-year-old Medford resident Dallas Smith was riding in the bike lane on Main Street in Ashland when he was pulled over by Ashland police officer Steve MacLennan. The offense? Officer MacLennan claimed that Smith was riding his bicycle outside of the bike lane.

“Why are riding on the white line and actually going over into the traffic lane when you have a bike lane here?” the officer asked Smith as he approached him during the traffic stop. When Smith replied that he was avoiding glass and other debris near the curb, which often gives him flats, Ofc. MacLennan dismissively replied. “Nope. No, that doesn’t cut it.”

After issuing the $110 citation, Ofc. MacLennan repeated to Smith that there wasn’t a sufficient amount of debris in the lane to warrant him riding several feet to the left of the curb. As he rode away, Smith asked the officer, “What am I supposed to do up here where there is no bike lane?” “You better ride off to the right then,” Ofc. MacLennan replied.

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)

Since early fall, the Oregon Department of Transportation has often mentioned stakeholders who oppose a proposal to re-stripe about 1.5 miles of Southwest Barbur Boulevard, replacing one northbound lane to create room for two bike lanes.

“Over the past several months, ODOT has received both strong messages of support for a road diet and strong objections from stakeholders who feel that reducing motor vehicle capacity on Barbur/99W would create unacceptable impacts for commuters, businesses, transit, and freight operations,” ODOT’s Jessica Horning wrote in a Sept. 5 memo.

The current design pushes bikes and cars into the same 45-mph auto lane as they cross two narrow bridges. Barbur has been eyed for bikeway improvements for many years as it’s the only flat link between most of Southwest Portland and the rest of the city.

But there are many factors at play here, so we wanted to give other views a fair airing and if possible get in touch with these stakeholders to include their comments for our stories. So, on Sept. 11, we asked ODOT to share the messages it was referring to. Two days ago, after a formal records request, the agency did.

Year: 2010
Brand: GMC
Model: Denali
Color:Yellow
Stolen in Portland, OR 97239
Stolen:2013-10-17
Stolen From: Stolen from my apartment in John’s landing, portland.
Neighborhood: John’s landing in SW portland
Owner: Siv Eftekhari
OwnerEmail: siveft@gmail.com
Description: Its a yellow GMC Denali road bike. front handle bar had some yellow tape on it.
Police record with: portland police
Police reference#: T13010899
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Job of the Week

Just one new job was posted to our Job Listings this week; but it’s a great one. Check out more details via the link below…

Bike Tour Guide – Worldwide – Trek Travel

Year: 2005
Brand: Redline
Model: Conquest Disc-R
Color:Red White little blue
Photo: http://i.imgur.com/jJZ7J8c.jpg
Stolen in Portland, OR 97086
Stolen:2013-10-01
Stolen From: taken off the green line max train today around 2:20pm between clackamas town center and gateway.
Neighborhood: South East Portland
Owner: james hazuka
OwnerEmail: bakhazuka@hotmail.com
Description: Mostly red and white with little blue redline cyclocross conquest disc-r. had a black panier type bag on back seatpost mounted rack. also a quick release bolt for child seat.
Police record with: portland pd
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Portland to illuminate bike lanes with solar-powered LEDs

The Portland Bureau of Transportation will install the city’s first illuminated bike lane markers next week (sorry, it’s not the glow-in-the-dark “starpath” everyone’s talking about). According to PBOT Active Transportation Division Manager Dan Bower, on Tuesday crews will install 20 solar-powered LED lights in the bike lane stripe on NE Couch as it makes the s-curve onto the Burnside Bridge (a somewhat notorious location if you recall).

Last night, PBOT asked this committee to
endorse its plan for a road diet on SE Foster Rd.
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)

The Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC) for the Foster Streetscape Plan voted overwhelmingly in favor of the Bureau of Transporation’s recommended redesign of Foster Road last night. There was only one committee member who voted against the plan, and none of PBOT’s proposed designs was challenged. However, tempers and emotions flared during the meeting on an issue unrelated to how the lanes and sidewalks should be divided up.

As we shared on Tuesday, after a 10 month public process, PBOT unveiled their proposal for how to turn the notoriously dangerous “Foster Freeway” into a “safe, pleasant, attractive and comfortable place to live, shop and linger.” In short, the design would change the existing, four lane cross section (with on-street parking in some segments), to a more modern lane configuration that would have three standard lanes and two, six-foot wide bike lanes from SE 52nd to 90th.

After five years of service cuts and rapid fare hikes, people who ride TriMet are getting a measure of relief.

The regional transit agency’s board voted Wednesday to bring 10 of its 12 frequent-service bus lines — the 6, 8, 9, 12, 14, 15, 33, 54/56, 57 and 75 buses — back up to the agency’s standard of 15 minutes or fewer between buses during midday hours. (TriMet’s two most-ridden lines, the 4 and 72, already meet that standard.)

It’s also considering an advocacy group’s campaign to extend transfer times from two to three hours, softening the bite of recent fare hikes for people who pay cash for short round trips.

Year: 2011
Brand: Kona
Model: Mahuna
Color:Black
Size:29er
Serial: H1LZ38324
Stolen in Portland, OR 97210
Stolen:2013-10-23
Stolen From: Stolen from the bike rack near the front doors of the SW entrance to Lloyd Center Mall.
Neighborhood: Lloyd District
Owner: Marc Thayer
OwnerEmail: marctha(replace with at sign)gmail.com
Reward: 100
Description: Black Kona mountain bike. 2011 Mahuna model. 29″ wheels. Removable splash guard above rear wheel and attached to seat with orange strap. Front and rear light attachments. Life Cycle Bike Shop stickers on body. Dual water bottle holder on body.
Police record with: Portland PD
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Here’s a chance to make East County bike touring even better

Woman pleads guilty in Barbur hit-and-run

Video of bike lane citation in Ashland highlights controversial Oregon law

A closer look at the opposition to a road diet on Barbur Blvd

Yellow GMC Denali 2010

Job of the Week

Red White little blue Redline Conquest Disc-R 2005

Portland to illuminate bike lanes with solar-powered LEDs

After tempers flare, citizen committee approves PBOT’s plans for Foster

BikePortland Podcast: The joys of rural road riding

As economy improves, TriMet slowly reverses some cuts

Black Kona Mahuna 2011

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